This watchdog blog, by journalist Norman Oder, offers analysis, commentary, and reportage about the $4.9 billion project to build the Barclays Center arena and 16 high-rise buildings at a crucial site in Brooklyn. Dubbed Atlantic Yards by developer Forest City Ratner in 2003, it was rebranded Pacific Park in 2014 after the Chinese government-owned Greenland Group bought a 70% stake in 15 towers. New York State still calls it Atlantic Yards. Contact: AtlanticYardsReport[at]hotmail.com

Friday, September 30, 2011

Carlo Scissura is taking another step toward running to replace his boss Marty Markowitz as Brooklyn borough president. The beep’s chief of staff is stepping down from that job to become a special advisor instead, taking a $15,000 pay cut to $124,000, with some of his responsibilities transferred to other staff members. The move frees him from the restrictions that bar top city officials from raising campaign money or doing other overtly political acts. Scissura, who declined to comment, received Conflicts of Interest Board clearance for the move. Markowitz will not replace him as chief of staff.

In other words, Scissura likely will function in several ways as chief of staff, but without the title--for more than two years.

"His passion for Brooklyn and knowledge of education and economic policy are a real asset,” Markowitz said in a prepared statement, “He has a bright future ahead of him and I look forward to whatever he chooses to do next.”

...“I feel like I would be able to do a great job for Brooklyn and I obviously learned from the best borough president we ever had,” Scissura said.

Political assets

The article noted that Deputy Borough President Yvonne Graham, who had planned a run in 2009 before the extension of term limts gave Markowitz a third term, is not running.

Nor is it likely that Council Member Dominic Recchia, who'd compete on geographic/ethnic grounds (southern Brooklyn/Italian) with Scissura, will run, but may instead run for Comptroller.

Surely there will be several candidates. Scissura--as well as the others--will all lack one key source of name recognition that boosted Markowitz name recognition in his 2001 run: a history of offering free concerts at two locations in the borough.

Some baggage

City Hall News noted that Scissura's political baggage includes his willingness to represent Markowitz when his bought a house--a conflict of interest that led both to be fined this year.

CARLO SCISSURA Chief of Staff, Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz.
...Scissura calls himself the “consigliere” to the colorful borough president, and says his job description is simply “everything.”
Markowitz credits him with helping reach out to communities affected by the Atlantic Yards and Domino developments.
“If we aren’t able to get everyone to agree all the time, Carlo is at least able to lower the heat,” Markowitz said. “Plus, I value his judgment. He has a great ability to present all sides of an issue.”

Scissura's surely an able aide and amiable fellow, I noted, but lowering the heat? Remember his June 2009 testimony before the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, channeling Markowitz? One of the lines was so classic Markowitz that it deserved its own excerpt.

"As we all know, the Borough President would never support anything that is not in the interests of all of Brooklyn and all Brooklynites," Scissura declared.

Questions for Scissura

Let's ask Scissura if he agrees with Markowitz that Brooklynites are "1000 percent behind Atlantic Yards," as Markowitz claimed in a video aimed to recruit immigrant investors to help Atlantic Yards developer Bruce Ratner save money.

And if he doesn't agree with Markowitz, does he think his boss was right to lie?